Year 5 had a fact-finding trip at Centre of the Cell! It is a science education centre based at the Whitechapel Campus of Queen Mary University of London. Centre of the Cell is the first science education centre in the world to be located within working biomedical research laboratories!
First, we visited the ‘Pod’ – here we discovered all about the amazing world of cells, the human body and the latest medical research. After we had two fun filled workshops – one on bones & muscles the other on digestion. Here we learnt lots of terrific and funny facts such as:

• The smallest muscle in our body is in our ear – the Stapedius.
• It takes 38 muscles to send a text message, 17 to smile and 43 to frown!
• Overall there are 260 different cells in a human body – the hand alone has 29 different types of cell.
• Specialized cells called osteoclasts break down bone to free the calcium.
• Cells known as osteoblasts deposit calcium into bone, remaking it.
• How long do you think the intestines are? Ask someone in year 5!

Year 5 wrote up these and other fascinating facts in their recounts of the trip following day!

This topic is amazing!